The Shoppolis Islands Tour Page 3

Welcome to Shoppolis Islands

Tour

Continued

Hi, this is Jane again. It is time to continue with the tour. On this page, you will be able to orient yourself with the rest of the Zones and their characteristics. Once this has been completed, it will be time to go on to the tour of the special aspects of our Shoppolis Islands East and West.

The Rooftops in North Beach

North Beach

Not only is this area one of the smallest and least populated zones on either East or West Island, but it is also one of the most charming and unaffected. That is because it is approximately 1/3 beach, 1/3 green lands, 1/3 rock, and rather natural. The pristine beach is extensive and ranges across the northern portions. It is dotted with residences and an estate or two, and looks out toward Crescent Island. The Passage, the entrance highway into the islands, namely the channel between East and West Island and Crescent, moves by, providing a deep-water access.

The town of North Beach is quite provincial and has no industry to speak of; people actually sit in chairs in front of buildings and lean back against the walls. It is primarily country store oriented and has an art-deco theater built in the late 1950s, a warehouse, a small, large-windowed school complete with playground and monkey bars, as well as merry-go-round, and there are even some wooden horses. There are few contemporary, tourist-aimed places of business, but they have been designed to integrate with the surrounding architecture. The North Beach association of citizens is a proud lot and does not allow for much change. We are indebted to them for their attitude.

High Rock is topped with an old look-out station from the early years, but now it has a small observatory and even a telescope. There are some residences on the road leading down, and their porches are designed for long hours of sea gaping and relaxation. The long road that goes east and west, with the bridge at one end and Tea Cup Bay on the other, is considered to be North Beach's "major highway." It is called Palisades and is two lanes wide. What is interesting is that there are no specific highways on SI, and there are no road markers other than those that provide names rather than numbers. There is no Route 1 on SI.

The east end of the Channel Bridge has a large apron area accommodating the Kelter Research Station and the Barry Brooks air-sea rescue facility with helicopters. There is a bridge authority building and provisions for the recently delivered deep-sea cutter, Thomas L. Bingham (SIS30). As in some of the other zones, many secondary roads are not paved in order to maintain their original coral sand beds with grassy centers. These crowned "paths" and their arbors grace many a lane to and from homes and among villages. North Beach's charm and personality can only be surpassed by its natural beauty and tropical character. North Beach is noted for its horse-drawn carriages and walking public.

To view street names of this map, click HERE

Horseshoe Bay and East Park

This area lies east of North Beach and is reached down the same east/west Palisades Road that leads from the Channel Bridge. As you can see from the map, the compact Shoppolis Islands Airport is in this zone. So is sparkling Horseshoe Bay and sprawling, suburban East Park. The airport, expanded in the 1970s, was designed around two specific types of aircraft, the Blakely C1-122 Carrior and the American C-130. These two airships, classified as short-take-off-and-landing (STOL) aircraft can land, fully loaded, within 2000 feet, and the main runway was built with that in mind. Shoppolis Islands has no formal airline, but we do have aircraft.

One of the more delightful aspects of this zone is the collection of fully restored and operational aircraft that SI uses for island hopping tours and executive flights. They include one each of these classics:

The Gallery of SI Vintage Aircraft

These classic, islander flying investments, are stored in a storm-resistant, cement "garage." Part of the structure is available as an observation deck, and the other part is covered with three feet of soil that supports conventional ground environment typical to the island. The doors are surfaced with applied rock and cliff materials since the garage is high to accommodate the tails of the aircraft. In addition, the garage is home for a number of classic cars (used for parades) and some of the island deterrence vehicles. A volunteer staff, supported by permanently assigned personnel, manage the vintage aircraft and vehicles. Tours of the islands and trips to other island groups are conducted on schedules with drop off and pick up of float plane and flying boat passengers at the classic Horseshoe Inn and Landing on the east side of the bay. In days of old, large Sutherlands used to dock at the facility.

The rules dictating the operation of the airport are very strict, and aircraft are only allowed to arrive and depart during certain hours and on certain days of the week in order to take into account the peace of mind of all nearby residences and businesses. Except for emergencies, no aircraft take off or land before 12 noon or after 5pm on weekdays. On weekends, aircraft can operate from 12 noon to 2pm both Saturday and Sunday.

When crossing over from North Beach to the Tea Cup Bay area, one is met with the largest entertainment pier and amusement park on SI. Telebro's Pier has indoor fun as well as outdoor and its massive Ferris wheel, at the end of the pier, commands the night sky to the north. The beach facilities are wonderful, and there are water craft for fun and exercise. There are a number of well-know hotels on the north side of the airport, and the Alexi Brezoroff estate, Brezoroff Manor, at the end of the runway, provides additional tourist attraction. The estate was built before there was a runway, and when the airport was built, the Brezoroffs sold their estate to SI. It is now a waterfront park that features go-cart tracks, radio-controlled vehicles and aircraft fields, as well as schedule celebratory events. On the nearby hill, is Cady Cottage, the home of architect, Isaac Cady who came to Shoppolis Islands in 1864 from Liverpool, England with a dream. He is well-known for having designed and built the London Townhomes and the Fortesque Factory (now a mall for small businesses), both in Shoppolis City.

To view street names of this map, click HERE

East Park is on the peninsula and, in many ways, is a world of its own. It has a school, a hospital, a small university, buildings of all types, residences, estates, marinas and more. Most of the actual business of the area takes place in East Park itself, and the residences tend to be in East Park Point. Another estate, Marble Hall, built by a famous actress, whose real name was Liza Browning, is a showpiece of antique styling. Materials were brought in from around the world for the mansion which is now a museum for antiquities. When Ms. Browning decided, in 1954, to live in Europe, she sold the mansion to Eddie Cannon Brilling, a shipping owner who wanted a place to use as a retreat for himself and his family and friends. Eddie Brilling turned out to be a man beyond the law, and when he was imprisoned for his infractions, he released the home to SI; it was purchased for one dollar. It is now called the Museum at Marble Hall at which there are scheduled "gatherings" of folks for varying reasons.

Dauphine, the south-most part of East Park is the shoreline home for some of SI's finest restaurants, like Dickie's, and is serviced directly by its own fleet of fishing boats. There are quite a few waterfront homes in Dauphine, that include the fascinating Perry's Point, built in 1921, the dream home of Benjamin Perry, a prosperous builder, and designed by Brandon Sheggs of Ireland. Dauphine is the site where the SI orchestra resides and plays, and the Ball Theater, that includes, in its design, a large concert hall and a huge theater for live productions. Dauphine is also where many of SI's elite musicians congregate.

Classic Yacht Restaurant and Tavern in Back Bay on Loveladies Island

Shoppolis City

The capitol city of SI is the oldest populated area in the island Group. It was on March 20th, 1784, that Captain Everett Shopp brought the Prize Mary into this very harbor. From these decks, came the people, supplies and disciplines that created the SI Group of today. Instead of consuming materials and resources, the leaders decided to invest in the local resources and build a service and product economy among the fronds and on the coral sands. Today, a replica of the Prize Mary is moored against a specially constructed quay to show her lines and make her decks available for moving about again. Her anchor has been preserved except that the wooden portions had to be replace a few times.

Since the shore area was flat and delightfully accommodating, a rudimentary city of paths was built over the assortment of bluffs and depressions. Over a period of some two hundred years, SI East and West have some of the best examples of world architecture, because of the influx of diverse cultures. The open-minded nature of the city planners and their exceptionally high intelligence and level of sophistication encouraged this. When Captain Shopp and his crew loaded the 200-and-some passengers, he did not know how many craftsmen of note and women of capability he had aboard. There were physicians, lawyers, blacksmiths, milliners, woodworkers, poets, wrestlers, accomplished horsemen and scientific women. They were all, for a number of reasons, victims of the American War of Independence from both sides. If anyone had known how rich the reservoir of talent and experience was on the Prize Mary, the new United States of America, Old Britain, Canada and others would have assimilated them into the fabric of their resources immediately.

As fate would have it, this remarkable group of men, women, couples (with and without children), crew members and others, formed one of the most prosperous and intelligently assembled societies on the planet. Using the natural materials around them and integrating them with their western ways and technologies, as well as founding a "service" identity for their commerce, SI has grown in respect and in influence, by factors, under the guidance and wisdom of a business organization run by those accepted by the people.

To view street names of this map, click HERE

Even though the model of the city is western, the tropical atmosphere is quite evident and has been maintained to a high level. The magnificence of the bay that greeted the settlers may be occupied by piers of yachts and lined with beaches, resorts and restaurants, but the welcoming character of the bay has been maintained. The Harbor Master resides at the main wharf, and an original "path" now called 6-foot Road is still in existence on The Point. The first real factory, the Fortesque facility, no longer manufactures any product, but it does house a number of low and high-tech operations in keeping with the times in which we live.

Bulkhead Bay, a man-made recreational enclosure of rock cement and porous walls (with protective screens), provides a paradise of swimming and diving without any threat from sharks or other predatory creatures. For the most part, the architecture of the city is classical and older. There are not many modern or super-modern, futuristic structures, but the Galaxy Mall, a building that resembles a spaceship, dominates the skyline behind the Peace Memorial.

Sidewalks abound throughout the city making evening promenades fashionable and friendly. One of the traditions of the city is to get out of the houses and other buildings, dress in fashionable apparel and walk about the city. This tradition, called Fashioning, has existed since the first couple dressed for an evening walk and moved down the first sidewalk greeting those on either side. Fashioning provides an opportunity for all visitors and residents to meet and greet. Any home containing an older person or one with an incapacitated person, can expect a few visitors each evening when it is not raining or storming.

Those living on their yachts in the Marina participate by Fashioning along the wharfs and piers visiting neighbors and interacting with the evening swimmers in Bulkhead Bay, enjoying the stops at the waterside restaurants and entertainment spots, as well as, watching and waving at the fishermen bobbing about in the open harbor. The lights of the Peace Memorial, and the lights of the streets, the Prize Mary wharf, the wandering minstrels, individual people selling their wares, and others all mingle which makes for an intimate, safe and friendly atmosphere in which to live and work. Each park has its own orchestra, band and/or singers for everyone to enjoy.

Gray Rock and the Gorge

These two areas are considered one unit even though the characteristics of each are quite different. Gray Rock is actually a soaring collection of pointed peaks, steep-sided rock valleys and flat, vegetated bases. The only lighthouse on SI East and West is on one of the northern peaks. Point Seven, one of the original lookout stations, is still equipped with a cannon and a replica lean-to. The rest of Gray Rock simply oversees the bay and provides a backdrop for the industrial park that spans the width and length of the Gorge. At the northern point of the Gorge, sits Heaven's Gate, the first formal cemetery for those passing in the early years. The first person to die, a young lady who fell from a yardarm on the Prize Mary, just as she sighted land, Doreen DuChamp, was buried at Heaven's Gate.

Since land is a premium on an island, the Heaven's Gate Mausoleum was built in 1934 to accommodate crypts for above-ground rest. Its classical construction and commanding beauty dominates the northern end of the rows and rows of buildings housing the bulk of SI service businesses. The office buildings represent over two-hundred years of architecture. It has been a policy that if a building does not fall down, get knocked down, or burns down, it will be refurbished and updated, but never replaced. This policy has served SI well to this day and has led the the most interesting eclectic collection of building types around. This maintenance idea has been taken so seriously, that the second large school built, after the Anna Rogoff School in Shoppolis City, the Burlington Bluefeather School in the Gorge, still remains the Gray Rock High School.

To view street names of this map, click HERE

Gray Rock and the Gorge have had their share of interesting events from the tragic to the radically amusing to the most touching. On the tragic side, Ronald Yarnell killed his wife, Sassy, by throwing her off Gray Rock. He was hanged on Trio Island South on January 3, 1789. He recommended his own punishment, and it was voted to carry out his wishes. His hanging was the one and only punishment of its kind every carried out in the SI Group. On the amusing side, a bet between two woman created a tradition that has been slightly modified today, but results in similar circumstances.

On December 21, 1792, Ballamy Angevin, the former barber on the Prize Mary, found himself in demand by two women, Bebe Boniface and Gail Bowditch. To alleviate a face-to-face battle between the two, he set up a race to see who would win him. The two had to start at the beginning of Gorge Trail, then a path roughly hewn through the flats to the east of Gray Rock. He waited on a rock at Collom Point. Six hours later, Bebe Boniface, ragged from her run, threw herself at him and took him to the ground. She had won. Gail Bowditch, having sprained her ankle halfway down, retired from the race, accepted her defeat and married the man who came out of the woods to carry her back to his home, Benjamin Bow.

Now, the day has women running a mile-and-a-half race to their men, married or otherwise in a competition called "Win Me" Day. The oldest woman to run the race was in 1981 when Allison Jacobi, at 92, took over seven hours to make her way to her 95-year old husband of 70 years, Ellington. Both lived another few years until their deaths within two hours of each other in South Beach Hospital in 1986. Allison holds the record for being the oldest and taking the longest to win her man. During this incredible event, not one of the spectators left until she had finished. They filtered southward as she moved along accompanying her all the way. There was a tumultuous applause at the end that some people say they can still hear today.

Ben Bow

This area is part of the narrow strip that, with Gray Rock and the Gorge, comprises the "neck" that leads down the East Island to South Beach. The beach is long and rims the western side of Quickly Bay, named after its counterpart in Cornwall, England. Tucker Cove is mostly residential; Ben Bow Beach is resort and business, and the south part, the Fishery, is industry, particularly water-life processing and charter yachting. It is also the site of the Shoppolis Islands Yacht Club. When it became apparent that Fishermen's End, on the north end of West Island would not be enough processing room, when combined with vessel maintenance, the south end of Ben Bow became the candidate for processing in the 1930s. When, in the 1970s, processing was reduced because of a drop in demand, the area was partially converted to other industries, then, in the 1990s, the area was converted to warehousing for cruise ships that began to abound at Cruise Landing in South Beach.

Ben Bow is named after the reclusive young man who, on December 21, 1792, rescued the injured Gail Bowditch, who sprained her ankle halfway down a race with Bebe Boniface for the love of Bellamy Angevin. This race eventually led to a commemorative race called "Win Me" Day. Benjamin Bow was an able-bodied seaman aboard the Fawn when it arrived in SI unexpectedly not long after the Prize Mary was situated. He was a large, lumbering youth with great strength. At 22, he was still baby-faced and was somewhat timid and shy. Aboard ship for almost five years, he was more than glad to move ashore from the Fawn and become a part of shore life. Being shy and timid, he slowly moved away from the group and found happiness and contentment on the beach overlooking Quickly Bay. At the time, he was the only person there.

To view street names of this map, click HERE

After picking up the injured Gail, having heard her cries for help, he took her to his crude beach home and nursed her back to health. Eventually, the two grew close, and finally were married by his former skipper, Captain Baleau. They were personally responsible for the early development of the fishing commerce from Quickly Bay and nearby waters. Their story didn't end there, and both he and his wife, after twenty years on the islands, left for the new lands of Australia in New South Wales. Their fifteen year old son, John, signed up to sail on one of the early SI trading ships, and subsequently retired to Ben Bow in 1842. When he passed away, there were no more Bows until 1997, when Alvin Brooks Bow, a direct descendent and former resident of Pasadena, California, USA, purchased a large yacht, Bow's Arrow, that now is berthed at the Charter Docks. Alvin, an active member of the SI Yacht Club and a racing official, married Bonnie Cannon, the daughter of Bruce Cannon, longtime roads Superintendent for South Beach and has one daughter, Shannon.

In keeping with the islands' policy of maintaining buildings and other structures, The Fishery, and its accompanying piers, now called the Charter Docks, is as impressive as ever. The Shoppolis Islands Yacht Club has an adjunct facility at the Docks, and private yachts and some commercial vessels are berthed in the area. New businesses have moved into the old facilities, and parks abound. The site of Ben Bow's home, is marked with a commemorative natural refreshment area and stone grotto.

South Beach

South Beach is one of the most active and dynamic areas of Shoppolis Islands East and, in fact, is probably the most active populated area in the entire SI Island Group. It is a full-featured resort and beach community with hotels, recreation areas, parks, themed piers, amusement areas, casinos, residences and is host to the cruise ships that frequent the islands. The recent warehousing and provisioning arrangements with cruise ship companies, has increased traffic tenfold, particularly along Mile Road that runs east/west in front of the Armory. South Beach is also the home of Evenlee, the fascinating residence of SI-Group's first family, the Shopps. There is a wonderful beach on the south side which runs directly up to the old Cruise Landing, which is still used for special occasions. Evenlee Park and its unusual adjunct, Arrow Head Park create a delightful, tropical paradise for all who walk among the palms and beaches.

On Cruise Landing itself, there are many casinos and hotels. One can step off the ship and step into a magical land of chance and recreation. Hotels feature roof-top pools and verandas, special charter facilities for yachts, bungalow rentals and the usual fine cuisine. The pilot boat and tug boat docks, in the center of the pier area, are continually active, and the processing center is always busy. Watching these small powerful vessels and their expert crews operate is a joy and pleasure to behold.

Crescent Beach hosts The Wharf, an amusement park of particular fun, because its design includes a mall of accessory businesses specifically designed to serve cruise ship people. Up and down the streets, one can find themed buildings and entertainment, extraordinary night life, planned celebrations and other events. Personalities abound, and many "characters" move about entertaining children as well as adults. The permanent residents of South Beach live there or in nearby Ben Bow or travel from the northern parts of the island. The Shoppolis Islands ferry, as well as our own cruise liner, the Point of View, have docking facilities in South Beach. Both are on-site at Evenlee's expansive dock.

To view street names of this map, click HERE

South Beach never closes, and its 24-hour per day scheduling delights the night owls as well as those who are up at dawn to take one of Ben Bow's charter fishing boats out to sea, but, there is also a serious side to South Beach. The Armory houses SI's army, navy and security offices. Since SI has no strategic weaponry, we only field defensive forces. SI has two conventionally powered submarines, two corvettes, fifteen security yachts, three jet aircraft (mobile headquarters type) and various land-based vehicles. The Armory is also the headquarters of the SI State Department that accounts for SI's primary defense against aggression, our Fully Distributed Deterrence Force (FDDF), those countless, faceless people who reside and work in key positions within every country in the world and act as our "silent army." Because South Beach is a deep-water port, the larger ships in our forces can provision here. All construction, major repairs or other attention is provided at our primary SI shipyard, NavyShips on Gavin 1, also a deep-water facility.

Vehicles on the docks of Quayton awaiting pickupx

Hi, this is John again. Now that you have been oriented into the appearance and characteristics of the Shoppolis Islands Group, as well as the individual island and groups, including the zones of Shoppolis Islands East and West, it is time for the phase of the tour that provides you with the details of our most advanced islands. As the other islands become available for outside commerce, their details and layouts will be brought into the same focus as you have seen so far with Shoppolis Islands East and West.

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